Lamb Shank Confit

Serves 3
Ingredients
3 Lamb Shanks
1 Tb Rosemary (Fresh is preferred)
6 Whole garlic cloves
1 Liter of oil (Olive oil is preferred)
1 Ts of salt
1 Tb of pepper corns
1 lemon sliced into rounds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (about 310 degrees F)
Use a large pot which is oven safe.  Fill it with the oil, rosemary, garlic, lemon, peppercorns, salt, and lastly the lamb. Make sure that the lamb is completely submerged.  If it is not, add a little more oil.

Place the pot, in the oven, covered for 2 hours.

Lamb shanks are a tougher pieces of meat the process of cooking the lamb via confit at a low temperature will allow the tough tissue to break down and become very tender.

When the shanks are fork tender, it is an indication that they are ready to eat.

You will also notice that the meat will reduce in mass by a noticeable amount.  As a raw product, the shanks will be totally covered by meat, that will not be the case after they have cooked for 2 hours (as can be seen in the photo). 

After removing the shanks from the oil, you can briefly broil them to crisp the outside.

I have served my lamb with the cauliflower puree and a sweet red wine reduction sauce (wine (40 cl), tomato paste (1 ts), sugar (2 tb), (lemon 1 ts))

Cauliflower Mash

This is a great alternative to mashed potatoes with more flavor and less carbohydrates

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 Cauliflower head
Salt to Taste
1/4 Cup of milk
2 Heaping tbs of cream cheese
Dash Pepper
1 Tb Butter

Directions
Wash Cauliflower, remove stem and leaves and cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces.

Place cauliflower in a steamer and steam until soft.  This will probably take 10 to 15 minutes, but keep and eye on the cauliflower because it could be more and it could be less time.

Drain the cauliflower and place it into a large bowl.  Then, puree the cauliflower with an immersion blender.

Next, add all of the other ingredients and repeat blending and pureeing with the immersion blender.

Moussaka

Serves 4 People.  

Ingredients
One half pound ground beef
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Potato, sliced into very thin (1/8 inch thick) rounds
3 Eggplant, Peeled and sliced into rounds

1 Tb tomato paste
1 ts Balsamic vinegar
1/2 ts garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Roux Mix
2 Tb butter
Flour
75 g Cheddar Cheese
Salt to taste

Tomato sauce

Directions
Coat the potatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Cook the potatoes in the oven until they are soft.
Cook the onion and eggplant in some olive oil in separate skillets. Make sure that the onions are translucent and the eggplant is completely soft.

After they are all cooked, place the onion, potato and eggplant off to the side.

Next, cook the meat in a skillet until brown.  When the meat is cooked, add the tomato paste, balsamic, garlic, salt and pepper.  This will give the meat a little more flavor.

Place the meat off to the side.

Lastly, you need to make a roux.  This will go on the top of your moussaka.  Melt 2 tb of butter in a skillet on medium heat.  Add enough flour to form a thin paste.  Next add 1/2 cup of milk and stir until the liquid thickens.  Lastly, add the salt and cheddar cheese.  If you think that your mixture is too thick, you can add some more milk.  The consistency should be similar to yogurt.

The ingredients will now be assembled in a square baking dish.  You probably should use a 10" or 8" pan.  First, place the meat on the bottom.  Then add rotating layers of eggplant, onion and potato.  You can also add a little bit of tomato sauce with the layers if you prefer.

On the top spread your roux mixture.

Cook the Moussaka in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes and then broil it at the end to brown the top.

Sweet and Spicy Chili

Serves 3 to 4 People

Ingredients

2 Diced Onions
2 Bell Peppers Diced (You can choose the color)
1/2 Pound ground beef (the quality of the meat is your choice)
3 Tb Tomato Paste
3.5 Tb Cumin
2 Tb Tobasco
2 Tb Sugar 
1 Diced, Grilled Green Chili Pepper
2 Dried Red Chilis
150 g can Kidney Beans
Dash Cinnemon
Salt to Taste
Crushed Black Pepper to Taste
Water

Directions

In a medium sized pot, sautee the the onions and bell pepper.  You want to cook them until they are translucent. Take the pot off of heat if the vegetables start to over cook.

In a skillet, cook the ground meat.  This should be done at the same time that the vegetables are cooking.  When the meat is completely brown, add it to the pot with the cooked peppers and onion.

Allow the meat and vegetables and meat to simmer together on low for a minute or two and then add the tomato paste and enough water that the vegetables are are about 1 to 2 inches submerged. 

Make sure that the tomato paste is dissolved and then add cumin, tobasco, sugar, chilies, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

Allow the ingredients to mingle on medium low heat.  Stir occasionally to make sure things are not sticking to the bottom.  The liquid will evaporate off during this time. You have a good consistency when the liquid coats the back of a spoon. 

Lastly, before serving, stir in the beans. 

Samosas

Makes 7 Samosas


Filling
3 Potatoes Skinned
2 Onions Chopped
1/4 Cup Peas (frozen)

4 Tb Yogurt
4 Tb Masala Seasoning
Pinch Salt

7 Won ton Skins

Directions
Boiled the potatoes until soft and caramelize the onions
Mix all of the filling ingredients together

Make the filling smooth with just a few lumps of potato in the mix.

Add 1 tablespoon of the filling into your won ton skin and fold it into a triangle.

Fry each samosa until brown in a frying pan filled with cooking oil.

Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers

In my opinion there are two types of burgers.  There are those which showcase the meat and there are others which showcase flavors.  This burger was done with less expensive cuts and thus showcases added flavors.  

Makes 8 Burgers

Ingredients
Beef Mixture
1 Kg Ground Beef
1 onion chopped
Dash Pepper
1.5 tablespoons bbq sauce
1 Tsp Hot Sauce
1 Tsp Garlic Powder

Filling
80 g Blue Cheese
1 Cl Water
1/5 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Mix the beef mixture together in a large bowl.  Mix the cheese filling mixture together in another bowl.

Separate the beef mixture into 8 separate balls.

Take one ball and split it into two pieces.  With one piece, form it into a patty that is about 2 inches in diameter.  In the middle of this patty form a well where the filling will be placed.  Then place about 1 ts of the filling into the well.  Then, with the second piece of beef create a flat patty that has a diameter that is slightly larger than 2 inches.  Place this patty on the top of the welled patty and seal the two together.

Repeat this process with each burger.

Lastly,
grill on the grill!